Page 4 - FreshDigest Win.24

EDITOR’S VIEW By Tim Linden Imposter Syndrome The Fresh Produce & Floral Coun- cil held a dynamic retail panel at its January Northern California luncheon, featuring four rising stars in the retail sector. All of whom are women. There is a report on this panel be- ginning on page 12 but it doesn’t do it justice. As the author of that story and an attendee at the luncheon, I can tell you that as hard as I tried, I couldn’t capture the quality of the panel dis- cussion and the talent of the speakers, including moderator Myisha Nathaniel of Raley’s. The three panelists were Sonya Constable of Sprouts Farmers Market, Faith Garrard of Raley’s and Kendra Doyel of Fred Meyer, a Kroger banner in the Pacific Northwest. While three of the four panel- ists have top jobs directly related to produce and the fourth is her chain’s vice president of merchandising, this group of retailers didn’t focus on fruits and vegetables and how to sell more of them. Their main focus was on their leadership skills, how to motivate others and their individual journeys to their current positions. While they each traced their unique paths, it was crystal clear that their sharp minds, progressive think- ing and strategies as leaders of their respective teams were the common denominators that propelled them on their unlikely paths. The women spoke of the difficult challenges ahead, especially as leaders in a business segment – brick and mortar grocery stores – that many believe have already seen their best days. It’s impos- sible not to notice the changes that have occurred in the retail world and the impact that on-line sales will continue to have on the traditional grocery store. But I left that meeting believing that the retail produce business is in good hands if these western retail leaders are indicative of the talent that is moving up the corporate ladder around the country. When I was walking out of the venue, I heard several people call it the best panel the FPFC has ever had. That sentiment was also expressed on the FPFC’s social media presence the day after the event. I came to the same conclusion. In fact, I believe it was the best retail panel at any event that I have ever seen in my many decades in this business. I almost always file a story on those panels in the various publications for which I write. As such, I pay close attention, take notes and am always looking for that takeaway gem that I can use to punctuate my story. I’ve covered many panels and they are usually very good with well-seasoned, retail produce veterans sharing their wisdom and experience. A noteworthy exchange usually surfaces. This time there were many gems from which to choose. One that caught my attention was a question Moderator Nathaniel asked of the panel concerning “Impostor Syndrome”. It is defined as a doubt in one’s skills or talent and think- ing that you just don’t belong. Nathaniel asked the audience if they knew what it was and noted that the women were all nodding their heads yes while many men were shaking their heads no. In the psychological world, impos- tor syndrome has been identified as an occurrence that often visits people who are the “only” something in the room. The “only” woman at the table. The “only” young leader. The “only” person of color. Each of the women was well aware of the concept and admitted having bouts of doubt on occasion, and they each gave a great answer of how they individually battle that phenomenon. Reflecting on the panel on my drive home after the event, I had my own case of impostor syndrome. I have moderated three such panels over the last decade of my career...two of which were Retail Panels at FPFC Luncheons. I prepared for them and tried my best to ask salient questions. Those experiences have caused me to instinctively judge myself against the moderator of the various panels that I attend. Sometimes I fare well and sometimes not. This time I was blown away. Myisha Nathaniel clearly did her homework well. She apparently talked to the panelists multiple times and was able to pull out some great stories and experiences that she had them share with the crowd. Those stories could only have been drawn out by a top- notch moderator. 4